Improvement in valves for street water-mains



1. man.

V Valve for Street Watr-Mains; No.160,640. PientedMarchl,l875.

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO.-LlTH.39&.4 -l PARK PLACE,N.Y.

'r STATES JOHN BIRD, or JERSEY orrv, NEw JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT .IN' VALVES FOR STREETWATER-MAINS.

Specification forming part of Litters Patent No. 160,6 10, dated March9, 1875; application filed October 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BIRD, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudsonand State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Valvesfor Street Water-Mains, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to that class of devices used for controlling thedirection of the water in the street-mains in which a valve is arrangedin what isusually termed the branch section of a water-pipe, whereby thewater can be stopped off in any branch by turning the valve to coverthat section of pipe. My invention has for its object to render suchclass of devices more perfect and reliable in operation; and to this endit consists in a peculiar construction of the valve and its stem, aswill be hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the valve and valve-chamber throughits center. Fig. 2 is-a plan of the top or exterior of said chamber.Fig. 3 is a plan with the top removed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of thevalve and its stem that operates it.

At A is represented the valve chamber proper, which consists of acylinder furnished with the several branches or sockets, as at B, towhich the mains are connected, and said cylinder may be placed at theintersection of two streets, so that the water-pipes in the two streetsmay intersect each other at said cylinder leading into it and out of it,as may be desired, and effected by the valve shown at O, which is simplya segmennof a circle made to fitupon the inner face of the cylinder A,as best seen at Fig. 3, where it is represented as covering one of thebranches connected with the valve-chamber. Said valve is cast with arectangular opening vertically through it, into or through which isfitted a valve-stem, as at D, which is provided with an axis, the lowerend of which works in a step, as at E, in the lower portion of thechamber A, and the upper end works through a bearing and stuffing-box,as at F, in the.up per plate or cover of the chamber, as is plainlyshown in Fig. 1. The said valve-stem is constructed or provided withlateral arms D D, in the outer ends of which are formed recesses, 60,and in said recesses are arrangedsprings,

as at O, which bear against the valve 0 and press it at all timesagainst the inner face of the chamber or cylinder A, so that no grit ofany kind may get between the face of the valve and its seat, and alsothat the valve may sweep around close upon the inner face of the chamberand clear off any dirt that may adhere thereon. Upon the upper portionof said stem, either within or above the chamber, is fastened a toothedwheel, as at G, into which works a pinion, as :at H, the axis of whichalso works through a stuffingbox in the cover, and may extend. on up tothe surface of the street, where a'key may be connected to turn it, tooperate the valve, or it may merely reach through the top of the chamberA, and be made to receive a key, as is now commonly done in water-gates,&c., as at K. Said valve may also be operated by a worm in place of thepinion, and in that case the axis will extend out through the side ofthe chamber or over it, as the case may be, instead of through the top,as here shown, and then be provided with a crank or other convenientdevice for rotating it.

Both stuffingboxes may be closed by a cap,

as shown at L in Figs. 1 and 2, and upon said the chamber A.

It will be observed, as shown at Fig. 4, that a space is left betweenthe stem and the yoke.

of the valve, so that as it may wear away upon the seat the stem willnot prevent the valve from closing upon the seat. The face of the valveand the interior-of the chamber where it works are to be coated withsome sort of lining that will prevent oxidation, so that the valve willfit closely at all times. The advantages of such a construction are thatby. casting the cylinder A in the three or four way branches nowrequired in the streetmains, and providing the same with a valve, ashere shown, but little expense willbe added to provide a completewater-gate to each intersection of the mains, and by so doing the watermay be shut off in any'street between two other streets withoutinterfering with any other portion of the mains, or stopping it 011'vertical opening, in which the valvestem in large districts, as is nowoften done, Where works, and the springs 0, arranged in the retheordinary gates are used. cesses in the arms of the valve-stem, and Itherefore claimpressing the valve outwardly, substantially Thecombination with the intersecting as and for the object specified.

branches of a street water-main, of the valve- JOHN BIRD.

stem D, having the lateral arms D D, pro- Witnesses:

vided with recesses a in their outer ends, the BOYD ELIOT,

loose segmental valve having the rectangular JOHN G. WV. BIRD.

